


Be My Valenslime

by GlowingLights



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Confessions, Crafts, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Slime, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27868209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlowingLights/pseuds/GlowingLights
Summary: Rise teaches Kanji about slimes and how to make them. Things slowly escalate, and Kanji wants to make a slime for his month-long crush...
Relationships: Amagi Yukiko/Satonaka Chie, Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Persona 4 Protagonist, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Be My Valenslime

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! This is my first ever fic! I hope you all enjoy reading it :3
> 
> She/her pronouns for Naoto are used in this fic.
> 
> I will mention now that I am from England, so some of the word choices, phrases, and spelling might be a bit weird to American readers. Just a heads up.
> 
> A big thank you to @Athaerys for being the beta for this fic! :D

"Do you ever get tired of knitting, Kanji?"

Kanji lowered his needles slightly to peer at Rise. The two of them were together in Rise's bedroom, decorated with shades of pink and white. The snow rug blanketing the cherry blossom floor, countless pieces of similarly-coloured furniture dotted about the room. A vanity, bed, wardrobe stuffed full of clothes, and other countless assets that Kanji couldn't imagine ever having the money for. The two of them were occupying themselves with little things they could do separately, while still enjoying each other's company. Kanji had reached into his bag to grab his yarn and needles, which he always carried with him, along with his animal crackers, ever since he confronted his shadow back in May. Eight months later, and, thanks to Yu and the rest of the Investigation Team, he was finally able to confront himself and embrace who he truly was. And that person was Kanji Tatsumi, the seamster with a passion for all things cute. On the other side of the room, Rise was rummaging through her drawers for her eyeliner, which she managed to find after asking Kanji her question.

"No? I enjoy it, and others seem to do so 's well now that I've started sellin' stuff in the Textile Shop. Why?"

"I mean, it's not like I can imagine you stopping," Rise explained to him, applying a small amount of eyeliner to her face, "Sewing is your passion, and you're really good at it! I would be really worried if you stopped, because the real Kanji wouldn't do that."

Both chuckled at that, Rise turning away from the mirror and opting to sit next to Kanji on her bed. 

"S' not like that explains why ya asked, Rise."

"Well, I was wondering if you ever considered trying to make something without knitting."

"...Like what?"

"Like… Slime!"

Rise reached for her bedside cabinet and pulled out a couple of slime tubs. Both were simple, one pink with purple sprinkles and one green with a mint swirl. She passed the green one to Kanji with a smile before opening her own pot. Kanji watched as Rise became invested in playing with the concoction in front of her, pressing down with her fingertips, the pink of her nails submerging in the depths before returning to the surface. Kanji just blinked at her, before turning to look down at the tub he held within his own hands. He opened it carefully and simply stared at the slime. After a while of just staring, admiring the world that had been opened up to him, he allowed his own fingers to sink into the slime. It felt goopy and cold to the touch, but oddly satisfying as he continued to move it around. He became lost in it, the feeling of the mixture capturing his senses. After some time, he heard Rise giggle beside him.

"You've been playing with that for a while, Kanji! Is this your first time seeing slime?"

"Of course not! I've seen it before, Rise! I've just never been interested in gettin' any."

"That's understandable. I just can't believe you've been sheltered from slime for so long, Moronji."

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell ya not to call me that?!"

"You know I'm only kidding! Anyways, I actually made these slimes myself. They're quite basic because I'm not very experienced with this sort of thing, but it's an amazing stress reliever. I have some stuff in the draws, actually. We could both make a slime for ourselves!"

"Hm… You'll have to teach me, but sure. I can give it a go."

"Yay! That's the spirit, Kanji! I'll get the materials!"

The two friends began making the slime, Rise leading Kanji through the basics, which he was able to pick up fairly quickly. It took the rest of their time together, the pair even stopping for dinner prepared by Rise's grandma. After hours, Kanji sat and admired his creation.

"Mine's finally done!" He declared.

Kanji's slime was very detailed for his first try, his skill as a seamster clearly giving him a creative advantage when making the slime. The colour of the base was a peanut-brown, coming out of the top in large swirls. The top was neatly decorated with miniscule orb sprinkles, coloured with shades of yellow and brown. On the top were two yellow teddy bears laying on the top, taking in the light that shone down from the ceiling lamp. Rise looked at Kanji's creation, jaw gaping.

"Wow Kanji… I thought you'd be good, but this is amazing!"

"Heh… Y-ya really think so? 'S nothing special…" Kanji managed to stammer out, looking down at the slime in his hands, a bashful pink tint to his face.

"Of course I do! You don't usually see slime this detailed unless you get it from a specialist store or something. You're a natural!"

"W-well, I just…"

"Used your creative juices that you got from knitting and applied the same amount of effort into making an amazing slime!"

"I… I guess that's what happened, yeah. Hey, how come yours ain't done yet?"

"Well, mine is actually made using clear slime, so it will take a couple of days to finish."

"Makes sense."

"Hey, how about I come and find you once I'm finished?"

"Sure, that's fine 'w me"

~

Looking for something he could use for his new slime buzz was the first thing on Kanji's bucket list. He couldn't put his newly formed plan into action without the materials to do so. His first stop was the shopping district, but he couldn't find anything to make slime with there, which didn't really suprise him. His next destination was Junes. Once he walked through the door, he heard his phone go off.

Rise( /^ω^)/♪♪: Kanjiiii where are u??? (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ

You: At Junes, why???

Rise( /^ω^)/♪♪: I finished my slime and wanted to show it to u! I went to ur house but your mum said u had gone out and I was like "kanji doesnt go out he stays inside and makes stuffed toys!" (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

You: First of all, they're knitted, not stuffed. And second, I needed to go shopping. A guy can go shopping can't he?

Rise( /^ω^)/♪♪: No u must always ask me to go shopping kanji tatsumi! (ಠ_ಠ)━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ ...Jk u can go shopping, but just tell me where u are rn so I can come and show u! I can also help u find what ur looking for! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

You: I'm at Junes getting slime stuff. I don't know if I'll find anything but I'll look around long enough for you to get here.

Rise( /^ω^)/♪♪: Okie dokie kanji! I'll be there in 5! \\(๑╹◡╹๑)ﾉ♬

Sighing, he pocketed his phone and set off through the maze that was the Junes department store. Kanji always found that it was much easier to navigate the shopping district, with specific stores for specific selections of stock. But that didn't mean he was one of those types of people; people who hate on Junes and blame it for the shopping district's slow bankruptcy. Besides, Tatsumi Textiles was doing just fine. It's not Junes' fault, it's more the people's fault for neglecting the shopping district in the first place. If they had room to complain, they had room to leave the department store and wonder around the small businesses Junes was supposedly destroying. And besides, Kanji knew just how much shit the employees here had gotten for Junes, especially Yosuke. He doesn't mention it, but it seems that working at Junes seemed to take his toll on him in the past, before he was friends with the Investigation Team members like Chie and Yukiko. Oh, speaking of Yosuke, maybe he could find him and ask if they sell any slime-making materials here. Whatever they're actually called… Rise never told him. He peered around the store, trying to find what he was looking for, when he suddenly felt a weight press against him from behind. From where he could feel their head press against his back, he could tell they must have been short. His mind jumped to Naoto, but he shook that thought away quickly. There's no way she would do that randomly. The only other person that short who could hug him is…

"Kanjiii! You came to see me! I'm beary happy! Come on, return the bear hug!"

Kanji didn't even need to guess who it was.

"H-hey, get offa me, Ted!" He retorted, pulling Teddie's arm away from where it was wrapped around his torso, causing Teddie to pull backwards, responding to the situation with a child's pout.

"You're so mean, Kanji! Gosh…"

Teddie was currently out of his mascot costume, sporting his human form. His signature white blouse and red rose were mostly covered by an apron worn by Junes employees.

"Sorry Ted, but I don't have time. I need ta find these materials…"

"Why can't you just get your claws on them at your shop?"

"Cause we don't sell stuff for slime. Anyways, have ya seen Yosuke Senpai? Maybe he'd know where they are."

"Nope, Yosuke isn't working today. He's out with Sensei! Can little old me help instead? Just tell me what these slime making materials are, and I'll…"

"Kanjiiiiii" another voice chimed, running up to them energetically, a smile spread widely across their face, holding a tub of slime.

"Hiya, Rise Chan! Come to score with me?" Teddie winked.

"Not today, sorry Teddie. I actually came to show Kanji the slime I made!"

Rise handed Kanji her slime, her hands on her hips triumphantly. Teddie stood next to Kanji, who held it down low enough for him to see. The slime was composed of lots of little balls, each a different colour of the rainbow. The slime looked more like bubbles had floated down into a pot and solidified into a satisfying concoction. Like a disco ball had exploded and people spent ages collecting the shards.

"I call it "disco in a jar"!" Rise announced, taking the slime from Kanji when he passed it to her.

"Does it taste nice?" Teddie asked, eyeing the slime.

"Ya don't eat it, Ted!" Kanji yelled, a shocked tone to his voice.

"But it looks beary delicious! If you don't eat it, then what is it for?"

"You play with it," Rise told him, "or, you can easily just leave it out for display."

"Ooooo that sounds cool! I want one! Kanjiii, could you make me one? It would make this little bear beary happy!"

Teddie's eyes widened to the size of saucers. His bottom lip quivered. As Kanji began to stammer, he launched himself forwards and clung onto the front of his shirt, looking up at him with those same eyes.

"Alright alright, fine! I'll make ya a slime."

"Yay!" Teddie bounced up and down, still hugging Kanji, "thank you, Kanji! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Alright, calm down, ya crazy bear! I'll get it done for ya when I can get my hands on those materials."

"Oh, speaking of," Rise started, pulling out a piece of paper from her handbag as Teddie let go of Kanji's shirt, "I have this to give to you. This is where I got my slime stuff from. It's in Okina, and it shouldn't be hard to find."

"Wow, this helps a bunch! Thanks, Rise."

"Don't mention it! If we hurry to Okina now, we should be back before sunset, so let's get going!"

Rise grabbed on to Kanji's sleeve and dragged him out of Junes, waving goodbye to Teddie as she went.

~

"God, does that jingle ever stop playing?" That was Kanji's first thought as he stepped back into Junes a few days later. February 14th was inching closer and closer, and Kanji's heart could not beat out of his chest any harder, thoughts of her constantly ebbing in and out of his brain. His plan was coming along nicely, he just needed more practice. Kanji walked down the chilled isle, where he finally found Teddie filling up one of the freezers. 

"Hey, Ted. I've got something for ya."

"KANJI! Is my beartiful slime finally ready?"

“Yup, it’s right here.”

Kanji flung his rucksack off his back and unzipped the top compartment, rummaging around aggressively yet delicately. After a short look, he pulled out a box and handed it to Teddie, who’s eyes lit up like a giddy schoolboy’s. He frantically opened the box and took out the tub of slime. The reason the slime was concealed within a box was because the gooey goodness trailed outside of the tub and towards the very bottom. A couple of bees swam around in honey, maple-coloured and sparky, just like Teddie. There were several large chunks of honey accompanying the bees in their swimming. And to top it all off, a couple of little jars also sunk into the honey, as well as a large honey dipper. Teddie just stared flabbergasted at Kanji’s creation, before sticking his tongue out to taste it.

“Damnit, Ted!” Kanji yelled, pulling the slime out of his hands, “Didn’t I tell ya that these ain’t for eatin’!?”

“But I’m beary curious!”

“A no’s a no! God, I thought it was Yosuke Senpai’s job to babysit ya... I’ll give it back t’ ya IF you promise ya won’t eat it.”

“...Okay”

Kanji carefully handed the slime back to Teddie, who continued to stare at it, his eyes full of magic. Kanji was about to say more, when he heard someone in the distance.

“Teddie! What are you doing? You’re supposed to be working, you stupi… Oh, hey Kanji. Did you find a way to silence Teddie? How did you do that? However you did it, I need you to tell me how.”

Yosuke walked up towards Teddie, Yukiko just behind him. Yosuke peered over Teddie’s right shoulder, his eyes widened.

“Woah, Kanji! This is amazing!”

“Ooh, let me see,” Yukiko said curiously, looking over Teddie’s other shoulder. She then looked at the slime, confused, then looked back to Kanji.

“Why isn’t Teddie eating that? Does he not like honey..?”

“No, Yukiko Senpai, yer not s’posed to…”

“A bear that doesn’t like honey… pfff-hahahahahaha!”

“Oh great, here we go again,” Yosuke sighed.

“A-A BEAR THAT DOESN’T LIKE HONEY! AAAA-HAHAHAHAHA!”

Yukiko’s legs quickly gave in to her laughing fit, falling to the floor and sitting on her knees, clutching her sides as the waterworks began to produce from her eyes. This caused Teddie to snap out of his daze, looking over at Yukiko with a look that could only be described as Teddie’s “fact-check” face he had picked up from Rise.

“Excuse me, Yuki chan, but all bears love honey! That’s fact number one in the bear-syclopedia! I was going to eat this beary lovely-looking honey, but Kanji was a sourpuss and told me I couldn’t eat it!”

“That’s because slime ain’t editable, Ted! It doesn’t taste like honey at all!”

“Oh, well that’s disappointing. I would have made some for Chie.” Yukiko frowned, getting up from the floor and brushing her skirt down with her hands.

“...You can still make some for Chie,” Yosuke reminded her, “although it might not seem like it, Chie doesn’t only think about food.”

“That is true, but I don’t even know how to make slime… And I still need to think of a Valentine's day gift for Chie…”

The mention of that day made Kanji’s heart drop all the way through his feet and through the edge of the Earth. He was stressed enough about getting enough practice for the day, he didn’t need to be reminded about it by his Senpai!

“Ah crap, don’t remind me,” Yosuke hung his head, “I’ve been completely stumped on what to get for Yu. I wanted it to be special since he’s leaving next month, but I still can’t think of anything.”

“Oh! Oh! I know!” Teddie jumped up and down, his hands still grasped carefully around his slime, “Why don’t you make him a mixtape?”

“That wouldn’t actually be a bad idea, Ted, if I didn’t already get him a mixtape for Christmas.”

“I know! Why don’t we get Kanji to teach us how to make slime! ...Assuming he’s the one who made Teddie’s honey pot,” Yukiko put her hands behind her back, smiling at Kanji widely. God, that smile had never failed to kill him since they were kids! Dangit, Yukiko Senpai, how could he say no to that???

“Oh, that’s a good idea, actually. Is that alright with you, Kanji?” Yosuke asked.

“Yeah, ‘s no prob. I need the practice, anyways. How ‘bout I make you two your own slimes for when ya come over?”

“Wow, a slime from you sounds great! Especially with how good Teddie’s turned out.” Yukiko beamed.

“Why do you need the practice, anyways? Is it for a special someone? Perhaps a certain detective prince?” Yosuke joked with a wink.

Of course he had to bring it up. The mere thought of it all made Kanji’s face glow beet-red. Just the thought of Naoto’s smile, her smarts, her intuition, her way with words. It was enough to send Kanji to la-la-land for a good week. His thoughts echo with the detective’s voice, when something else pierced through the ether.

“Oooooh, Kanji’s going to score with Nao Chan!” Teddie pointed at Kanji, keeping the slime locked within his other. Kanji’s words just decided to take a vacation from his brain.

“I… ah… I-I’m…”

“Looks like you were dead on, Teddie,” Yosuke smiled, his arms crossed in front of him.

“H-HEY! DO YA WANT HELP OR NOT?”

“W-woah, chill dude! Yeah, it would be a great help. Thanks man.”

“Maybe we could help you with Naoto Kun? We could talk about it more at yours in a few days' time? Remember, Kanji Kun, we’re friends. We’re here to help you, even if Yosuke Kun may sound like he’s teasing you. He just doesn’t know how to deal with that kind of thing, even with Yu Kun. Remember how long it took for him to admit that he was gay?” Yukiko deadpanned.

“HEYHEYHEY Yukiko, let’s not go there please,” Yosuke practically wined that out, sounding a lot like Teddie. They’re acting more and more like siblings by the day.

“I… I appreciate it, you guys. Thanks.” Kanji blushed, looking down at the ground.

“Any time, man,” Yosuke smiled, “Anyways, Teddie, you need to get back to work. Go back to your locker and put that away. I think dad wanted you upstairs in the food court, so I’d get your suit ready.”

“Yes, Yosuke!” Teddie saluted, before returning to holding his slime with two hands as he ran down the aisle.

“Anyways, we’ll see you in a couple of days. Okay, Kanji Kun? We can meet up at the Inn!” Yukiko declared with a clap of her hands.

“Sounds good to me,” Yosuke said with a thumbs up.

~

Walking into the Amagi Inn, the fresh smell of the incense that was neatly placed around the foyer of the Inn instantly caused Kanji and Yosuke's shoulders to relax. Their shoes clopped against the hard-wood floor, taking in the cozy maroon colours of the walls and the decoration upon them. From further down the hall, the two of them could hear someone approaching. Yukiko came down in her signature pink floral kimono, which she usually wears during work. She walked up to the boys, tilting her head upwards and flashing them both a warm smile. Despite being the tallest girl in the group, she still had to look up to meet the eyes of the two boys that towered over her. The only one of the guys she could look down at was Teddie, and she would relish every moment of her height over the bear.

"Hello, Kanji Kun, Yosuke Kun. Glad you two could make it,” her sunbeam smile lit up the entire room, temporarily blinding souls to all that was bad. The warm atmosphere the Amagis put into their Inn truly was no short of outstanding, “it’s not all that busy, so my mother allowed us to use one of the rooms that wasn’t booked for today. That way we can clean up any messes we might make during the nightly cleaning rounds.”

“Why do I feel like your mum is making sure you don’t get your room dirty?” Yosuke eyed her, “if your craft skills are anything like your cooking, I’d be worried for our safety.”

“Hey, my cooking isn’t that bad…”

“Hey, les just get started. We don’t wanna be here all day, since Va… February 14th is coming up soon,” Kanji stumbled over his words at the declaration, moving past Yukiko, who had begun one of her signature laughing fits. Yosuke simply sighed.

“Kanji, you don’t know where you’re going.”

Yukiko only wheezed harder as the realisation caused Kanji to stop dead in his tracks. He turned around to face them, his face still raspberry-pink.

“I-it ain’t funny, Yukiko Senpai!”

“I-I know, I-I’m sor - snort - sorry ahahahaha!”

Yukiko’s laughing fit continued on for minutes, her lungs desperately gasping for air, as if the life had been sucked right out of her. After a few sharp inhales, coughs, and wiping of her eyes, Yukiko walked past Kanji and Yosuke, leading them through the Inn’s surprisingly easy to navigate hallways. Two flights of stairs later, and the three entered the unoccupied room. Lightly coloured wooden floors, the walls painted the same colour, kotatsus neatly rolled up in the corner, table draped elegantly. Yukiko sat down on one of the chairs. Yosuke sat to her right, while Kanji sat opposite them both.

“So, you said you were making us slimes? Are they done yet?” Yukiko asked, her eyes lighting up, while still managing to keep her elegant poise, her hands lightly gripping the table.

“Yeah, they’re all done. Lemme just get ‘em out…”

Kanji reached into the same bag he had brought with him to Junes, pulling out two small, white, cube boxes. One was orange and one was red.

“Who wants to see who’s first?”

“Ooo! Me! Do mine first!” Yukiko stuck her hand up and waved it around, like an excited schoolgirl the teacher was about to ask to stop with the monkey noises.

Kanji handed the red box to Yukiko, who opened it quickly but carefully. Held within was a flamingo pink slime, the top covered with foamy white goodness akin to whipped cream. Sprinkled on top were little pink hearts and golden confetti. The slime itself shimmered and sparkled, just like Yukiko’s extravagant maragidyne.

“Wow! It’s so cute! Thank you, Kanji Kun.”

“Don’t mention it. Here’s yours, Yosuke Senpai.”

Kanji passed the orange box to Yosuke, who opened it in a similar manner to Yukiko. Kanji figured opening all the boxes at Junes would have given him practice, but he was surprised at how… un-clumsily he was doing it? Yosuke removed the slime from it’s box, revealing a work of art much more extravagant than Yukiko’s. Arguably, it was the most complicated slime Kanji had made yet. The base slime rose out of the box, resembling lush hillsides covered in pollen. On the top was a single sunflower, the centrepiece for the slime. While not as much was going on with this slime as Teddie’s, getting the crisp texture of the pollen just right had proven to be harrowing compared to other slime-making hurdles he had managed to leap over. This hurdle was twice as high, Olympic gold medal standards. But he had managed to clear it.

“Wow… this is incredible,” Yosuke complimented, his jaw agape, “but why the sunflower theme?”

“T’ be honest, I was gonna go with a music theme fer yours, but decided ta do a sunflower theme after Senpai talked my ear off about ya being “his golden sunflower”.”

Yosuke’s face flushed crimson as he stared at the slime, eyes now fixated on the sunflower resting upon its pollen. Yukiko giggled, while Kanji allowed himself to smile. He knew Yosuke would appreciate something like that, and the reaction made it worth it. He just hoped Naoto would react the same way… Yukiko had now put her slime down on the desk next to her.

“Are we going to make our slimes now? I’ve finally come up with an idea for Chie’s.”

“Sure, let’s get started. Ya ready, Yosuke Senpai?”

“Yeah,” Yosuke nodded, shaking away his blush and putting on his game face, “I’ve already gathered everything I need from Junes to decorate the perfect slime for my partner.”

“Good ta hear, Senpai! Now, les get started by…”

Kanji showed them the ropes, just as Rise had taught him before, but with a certain expertise to his words. A voice echoed in his mind: “You could be a famous fashion designer… Oh, or a home ec teacher?”. The voice was familiar yet not, someone he had heard before but hadn’t. He quickly shook that thought away as Yukiko proceeded to make a mess on the first couple of steps. Thankfully, she hadn’t caused any serious damage to Chie’s slime, thanks to Yosuke being there to keep watch. They were both doing well, but perhaps that was because Yosuke’s was simple, or because Yukiko had a reference. No matter, the slimes ended up in one piece, and not too shabby at that. Yukiko’s slime for Chie looked similar to her own, with a few major differences. For one, the slime was bright yellow with green sprinkles. Secondly, the white cream had completely vanished. Yosuke’s slime for Yu was simple yet adorable. The slime’s colouring was a glossy dark grey, and sat on top was a little grey cat sticker, it’s tongue sticking out happily.

“Wow, Senpai, these look great! Ya both did a good job!”

“Thanks, Kanji,” Yukiko said, with joy flowing from her mouth, “I know that Chie is going to love this!”

“Yeah, thanks for the help, man.” Yosuke winked, cradling his precious gift for his partner delicately within his palms.

“Don’t mention it, really.” Kanji chuckled.

“Do you have any idea what you’re going to make for Naoto Kun?”

“...I think I have an idea, yeah.”

~

Kanji stood patiently around the back of the school, where the football field was. He had put a note in Naoto’s locker during lunch asking to meet him here. He made sure the letter had some personal touches to accompany it, one of those being a small knitted blue bunny with a small hat that matched hers, and the envelope of the letter specifically stated it was from him. Knowing Naoto, she would have received a lot more letters, and would throw away most of them. That is why he double checked to make sure his letter was tucked behind her shoes instead of in a massive clump with the others, so she wouldn’t mindlessly throw it away. Not like he would blame her, as she often got a lot of confession letters from admirers who knew little to nothing about her.

He figured this was the best place to talk without interruption, seeing as the school rooftop, Samegawa floodplain, and hill overlooking the town would be full with people. He also knew that the beach the Investigation Team went to during summer was Yu’s spot for Yosuke, so he wasn’t going to intrude. He stared out towards the school, sat on the bleachers, when his phone went off. He had two text messages

Yukiko: Hello, Kanji. Just wanted to thank you again for the slime-making lesson. Chie really liked the slime I made for her, and was really happy we matched as well. Good luck with Naoto Kun, I’m sure she’ll really like the slime.

Yosuke: hi kanji wanted 2 say thnx 4 the help wth prtnrs slime he rlly liked it and said it was p cute he also laughed when he found out u made my slime based on his words haha srsly thnx so much dude just tell me how i can repay you later good luck w/ naoto.

He let out an amused breathy chuckle at the messages, pocketing his phone and nervously drumming his knee with his fingertips. The worst ran through his mind. What if she didn’t like the slime? What if she only saw him as a friend? That wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest. What if she ditched him entirely and went straight home to avoid an awkward rejection. What if she…

“Ah, here you are, Kanji Kun.”

Kanji’s thoughts instantly evaporated into the atmosphere when Naoto’s soothingly calm voice reached his eardrums. She calmly walked over to him, although he could tell she was anything but. The slight tilts of the hat and fiddling with the cuffs of her school jacket gave it away. She took a seat next to him, only a small distance between them. She took his letter out of her bag, as well as the bunny, and held them in her hands.

“I must say, you did a good job of making sure I didn’t throw these away with the rest of the junk mail I received today. Placing the letter away from the others, plus the addition of this…” she paused her words for a moment, moving the bunny to between her shoulder and elbow so she could cover her face with her hat, “...this adorable present you gave me. I knew instantly that only someone like you could have made this.”

“A-ah, t-thanks…” Damnit, Kanji, pull yourself together! Now’s your one and only chance to do this. Rise and the others all gave you the practice you needed, don’t let it go to waste! “I, ah, h-have somethin’ else to give ya, as well.”

“Oh?” was all she could get out before a blue box was shoved in her direction, Kanji looking down at the floor as he handed it to her. She took the box from his hands and stared at it, intrigued, as if assessing it for clues or hidden meanings. Good lord, she was supposed to be a detective, not a thief! And yet, how could she steal his heart so easily? Slowly, she opened the box, and her cheeks immediately lit up. The slime was a glossy navy blue, decorated with a large magnifying glass and little stars underneath that, spelling out her first name. She stammered, at a loss for words. Kanji could hear the cogs in her head whirring away in that golden brain of hers, trying to translate her emotions into words. He decided to speak first.

“NaotoIlikeyouwillyougooutwithme???”

“W-what? S-sorry, Kanji Kun, but I didn’t quite understand that.”

Kanji stammered, unable to blink. All he could do was stare down at her, while she stared up at him. Their eyes met, if only for a second, before they both turned away from each other. That second was filled with an explosion that both could feel unleash within their stomachs, overpowering their senses. Kanji’s heart felt like it was about to grow legs and run on out of the situation he was currently in, his brain had already done so. Looking at Naoto again, he could tell her’s had probably done the same. As much as he didn’t blame them, he pulled them back into his body and took a deep breath in, finally ready to do what he had wanted to do since May.

“Naoto, I… I like ya, a lot. Yer smart, kind, uhh, intu.. Inti… intua…”

“I-intuitive?”

“Y-yeah! Ever since I met ya back in May, I knew there was something special about ya. Even though you were pretending to be a boy at the time, I still felt this exact same way at the time. It caused me a lotta confusion, ya know? Then, seeing you in August, while we were still trying ta figure out what was goin on with Mitsuo, you showed just how dedicated and mature ya are. But I could tell that you were lonely, and it broke my heart a bit. And, encountering your shadow definitely was a lot for ya. But I can tell it’s done so much for ya. Ya seem a lot happier, and ya seem to be acting more like yerself around everyone. It just… ack, god, this is all hard to put into words… uh… ya smile lit up so much more, ya seemed more relaxed. And seeing ya like that just made me like you more and…”

Kanji was interrupted by a sharp inhale. He realised that inhale had come from his own mouth, as Naoto’s smaller hand rested on top of his. She just stared up at him, the light in her eyes glistening brightly. Letting out a long breath, he turned his hand to lock their fingers together, rubbing his thumb along her knuckle. She chuckled, which caused Kanji’s heart to sink ever so slightly, but was raised up to his throat when the next sentence flew from her mouth.

“I’ve always wondered what your hands would feel like... I don’t think I can say I’ve harboured similar feelings to you for as long, but I’ve definitely felt it since those October months. Every time you’re around, my heart doesn’t seem to know what to do with itself. You’ve always put others ahead of yourself, and have done your utmost to protect everyone on the Investigation Team. You’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for, too, and I… I will admit that butterflies floated around my stomach when I found your letter placed so articulately within my locker. The fact that even the simple things you did made me feel this way… I wish I would have had the confidence to approach you about my feelings sooner.”

“N-Naoto…”

“So, in short, Kanji Kun… I… I-I like you too. A lot.”

Out of instinct, Kanji removed the slime from her hands and placed it on the bench next to her. He then shuffled closer, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She was warm, and she stiffly pressed against his body. Crap, was that too forward? Apparently not, because her arms slowly wrapped around his waist as she buried her head in his shoulder, her hat falling onto the floor. She let out a muffled laugh, lifting her chin to remove her head from his arm.

“I never knew I was this touch starved…”

Kanji simply chuckled at that, holding her a little tighter.

“So, would ya like to… To try a relationship? B-Between us?”

“Yes… I believe I would like that very much.”

**Author's Note:**

> And that's that! I have a backlog of fic ideas at the ready, so expect more from me :)
> 
> I do have the reference images used for each slime here: https://imgur.com/a/H6ZUsBP
> 
> This fic idea came to me pretty randomly on a discord server I used to be on, where we were talking about Persona character's slime aesthetics. I then thought of Kanji making slime for everyone on the IT, and this fic was born.


End file.
